This invention relates to a closure assembly for a bottle, and in particular, wine bottles. The invention also contemplates a novel secondary closure construction.
The wine industry has, for generations, utilized a wine bottle wherein a cork served as a primary closure. Various devices were then utilized to provide a secondary closure or cover for the cork and bottle opening into which the cork is fitted. Morehouse, in Patent No. 368,959, discloses a bottle stopper construction of the type which could possibly be used in the environment described. Quick, in Patent No. 827,665, discloses yet another construction. Additional references include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 1,116,663 (Woodruff), U.S. Pat. No. 1,222,765 (Hudson), U.S. Pat. No. 1,481,034 (Stattmann), U.S. Pat. No. 1,612,144 (Muller et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 1,654,720 (Clark), U.S. Pat. No. 2,338,102 (Fields), U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,542 (Price), U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,591 (Spelman et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,547 (Finke), U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,246 (Finke) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,080 (Finke).
Of the above references, attention is specifically drawn to Price, U.S. Pat. No. 2,665,542, wherein a stopper is fitted into the neck of a bottle and covered with a foil cap. Also, reference is directed to Spelman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,591, which discloses a bottle wherein a cork is positioned in the neck of the bottle as a primary closure and a secondary closure comprises a foil cap.
Recent developments in the wine industry suggest that the primary closure be covered with a thermoplastic wax material as a secondary closure. The thermoplastic wax material is fitted into the neck over the primary closure. Finke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,547, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,447,246 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,080 are examples of this approach.
Nonetheless, there has remained a need to develop a secondary and primary closure assembly for a wine bottle which has improved aesthetics, provides the function of a secondary closure to cover the neck of the bottle as well as the primary closure and, finally, which is easily removable and perhaps indicates a tamper-proof arrangement. Thus, heretofore, wine containers and bottles had a decorative capsule covering both the bottle neck and the primary closure or a cork. The recent introduction of disks made of paper, wax or a combination of paper and wax used to seal the area on the top of the cork exposed to the outside of the bottle typically fitted within the neck of the bottle. They may provide a decorative appearance.
There are various problems associated with these methods. For example, lead capsules are not used due to the potential for exposure to lead. Aluminum foil laminated capsules or plastic capsules are difficult to remove, in some cases do not have a pleasing appearance and may occasionally cause finger cuts. The use of a wax plug on top of the primary closure provides a construction which is difficult to remove and which may shatter during removal. Paper or wax may bond too tightly to the cork, again making it difficult to remove. On occasion, when consumers remove a paper or wax covered cork, they will invert the cork and put the paper or wax into the bottle if all the fluid from the bottle is not consumed. The paper or wax may then undesirably come into contact with the contents of the bottle, or the seal may fall into the bottle and subsequently become ingested by a consumer. Restaurants also complain that wax particles are unsightly on tablecloths and tend to stain tablecloths, carpet and wait staff garments. Wax also tends to be less tamper evident as the wax and cork can be removed using a two-prong style cork remover without leaving some evidence of tampering.
Thus there has remained a need for an improved closure assembly, and more particularly, a closure assembly which utilizes an improved secondary closure, particularly in the wine industry.